On comparative studies of communicative behavior

Iosif Sternin

Voronezh State University

Dimitrovo 4 – 154, 394007 Voronezh, Russia

Tel.: (0732) 27 54 59

E-mail: sternin@box.csp.ru

Marina Sternina

Voronezh State University

Perevertkina 28 – 21, 394063 Voronezh, Russia

Tel.: (0732) 24 27 80

E-mail: sternina@vmail.ru

ON COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIOR

The paper is devoted to comparative studies of national communicative behavior. Two basic models of description of communicative behavior are possible: situational and parametric.

The use of the situational research model makes it possible to describe national communicative behavior thoroughly in standard communicative situations and in the main communicative spheres.

Parametric model presupposes the description of communicative behavior by means of a certain number of communicative factors, communicative parameters and communicative features.

Communicative factors are the most general relevant characteristics of communicative behavior of a nation. Communicative factors, parameters and features constitute a certain hierarchy where a more general item is composed of less general ones.

The paper shows the mechanism of comparative studies of communicative behavior presenting comparative description of Russian and American communication according to the following parameters: communicative contact, formality and informality, communicative self presentation, politeness, regulation, conflict management, contents of communication, orientation to the interlocutor and non-verbal communication.

KEY WORDS: communicative behavior, intercultural communication, comparative studies.

The term communicative behavior was introduced by I. Sternin in 1989 . Communicative behavior is defined as a system of norms and traditions of national communication and is built up by a number of national communicative rules. The importance of studying communicative behavior of different nations can hardly be overestimated as mistakes in communicative behavior may cause mutual misunderstanding and even ethnic conflicts. The description of communicative behavior as a system of norms and traditions should by all means be comparative: the teacher must be able to contrast the native communicative behavior of the student to communicative behavior of the people whose language is studied. Therefore contrastive studies of communicative behavior are most important.

It should also be emphasized that all generalizations that can be made should be viewed as relative, for they strongly depend upon the cultures compared. A parallel can be drawn with some traits of national character: for example, Russian hospitality is well known and acknowledged as an important component of Russian mentality. But this is a European view, and if we compare Russian hospitality with that in the Caucasus, Russians will look less hospitable. Aspects of communicative behavior are also relative which should always be borne in mind.

Voronezh linguists have been studying communicative behavior of different communicative cultures for about 10 years and have worked out a model of its description. Two basic models of description of communicative behavior were suggested: situational and parametric.

The use of the situational research model makes it possible to thoroughly describe national communicative behavior both in standard communicative situations (like greetings, invitations, congratulations, etc.) and the main communicative spheres (certain everyday situations where national specificity of communicative behavior is revealed, e.g. communication between men and women, communication with strangers, official communication, etc.).

Parametric model presupposes the description of communicative behavior by means of a certain number of communicative factors, communicative parameters and communicative features.

Communicative factors are the most general relevant characteristics of communicative behavior of a nation. Communicative factors, parameters and features constitute a certain hierarchy where a more general item is composed of less general ones.

Thus the factor “communicative contact” includes such communicative parameters as Sociability, Emotions, Sincerity, Frankness, Easiness of entering communication, etc.

The parameter Sociability in Russian communicative behavior includes such communicative features as: easy start of communication with a stranger; touching as a form of establishing contact; absence of formal ceremony of making acquaintance; possibility of introducing oneself; intolerance of silence; tradition to talk to fellow travelers on the train and others.

Parameters in the communicative cultures being compared may both coincide and differ; the same should be said about communicative features, which in practice differ greatly. While communicative factors in different communicative cultures are mainly the same, certain parameters and features may be present in one communicative culture and absent in the other. The comparative description of communicative behavior of two or more cultures presupposes comparison of communicative parameters and communicative features of both cultures within the framework of communicative factors, which serve the basis of comparison.

In the present paper we shall show the mechanism of comparative studies of communicative behavior at the example of comparative description of Russian and American communication. The following parameters appear to be relevant for such description:

communicative contact,

formality and informality,

communicative self presentation,

politeness,

regulation,

conflict management,

contents of communication,

orientation to the interlocutor,

non-verbal communication.

Now we shall compare communicative behavior of Russians and Americans according to each of these parameters.

Communicative contact

Sociability

Russians are very sociable, communication with other people is considered in Russia to be one of

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